NL
DE
23 June 2020
First of all, we published the scientific findings. As a consequence, the results have not only been shared within the Radboudumc, but also with the international scientific world, including the pharmaceutical industry and other companies focusing on drug development.
In general, our research focuses on the first phase in the process of drug development for rheumatic diseases, but we also look further. After the company Novartis had produced an IL-17 inhibitor, for example, our group developed a test system to study how well this compound actually inhibits IL-17 and whether this inhibitor works not only in a test tube but also in a living organism. This eventually led to a drug, which was marketed under the name secukinumab, brand name Cosentyx. First for the treatment of the skin condition psoriasis, later also for other inflammatory diseases such as psoriatic arthritis.
It is stimulating to see how we can contribute to research in all phases of drug development and actually make the patient's life a little more pleasant. That's what we aim for; to have a significant impact on healthcare.
The first experimental studies in human have been done in patients with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Then came the official approval of the drug by the authorities for psoriasis, later followed by approval for rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis psoriatica and ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease).
Looking at effectiveness, the impact of the IL-17 inhibitors in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis appears to be much greater than in the original focus on rheumatoid arthritis.
Your group has been researching IL-17 for years, can you explain what this is?
IL-17 stands for interleukin-17. Interleukins are substances that allow cells to communicate with each other. IL-17 is number 17 in a whole series of these signal substances, also called cytokines. This still sounds abstract, but we have to see it this way that IL-17 plays an important role in our immune system against infections. However, in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, IL-17 has an opposite effect and we see that it even has a harmful role. It exacerbates the inflammation in the joints and causes more damage to cartilage and bone. Therefore, it was essential to conduct research on IL-17 in order to understand how to inhibit these harmful effects".Has the research provided clear insights into the relationship between IL-17 and rheumatoid arthritis?
Yes, our research has made an important contribution to understanding the role of IL-17 in the disease process in rheumatoid arthritis. For example, we have shown that IL-17 not only plays an important role in joint inflammation, but can also cause damage to cartilage and bone. Over the years we have discovered that IL-17 actively cooperates with other signaling substances in the body. On its own, IL-17 is not that powerful, but in cooperation with other substances it can suddenly have great effects. This has given us insight into the surprising power of IL-17, in a negative sense, for the clinical picture we see in rheumatoid arthritis.How has your research contributed to the medication currently available in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis?
Our research is part of a larger set of findings in this area. Ultimately, our research contributed to the different phases; insight, development and testing of medication.First of all, we published the scientific findings. As a consequence, the results have not only been shared within the Radboudumc, but also with the international scientific world, including the pharmaceutical industry and other companies focusing on drug development.
In general, our research focuses on the first phase in the process of drug development for rheumatic diseases, but we also look further. After the company Novartis had produced an IL-17 inhibitor, for example, our group developed a test system to study how well this compound actually inhibits IL-17 and whether this inhibitor works not only in a test tube but also in a living organism. This eventually led to a drug, which was marketed under the name secukinumab, brand name Cosentyx. First for the treatment of the skin condition psoriasis, later also for other inflammatory diseases such as psoriatic arthritis.
It is stimulating to see how we can contribute to research in all phases of drug development and actually make the patient's life a little more pleasant. That's what we aim for; to have a significant impact on healthcare.
So the results turned out to be interesting not only for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, but also for other conditions?
That's right! Inhibiting IL-17 offers improvement in multiple diseases.The first experimental studies in human have been done in patients with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Then came the official approval of the drug by the authorities for psoriasis, later followed by approval for rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis psoriatica and ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease).
Looking at effectiveness, the impact of the IL-17 inhibitors in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis appears to be much greater than in the original focus on rheumatoid arthritis.
